Grading and excavating machine



May 16, 11950 R. STUMPF GRADING AND EXCAVATING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1Filed March 21, 1947 Inventor Raymond Sfumpf May 16, 1950 R. STUMPFGRADING AND EXCAVATING MAQHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 21, 1947 WowNWWWM H 1 Inventor no a " Raymond Sfumpf May 16, 1950 R. STUMPF' GRADINGAND EXCAVATING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed March 21, 1.947

Boa

mm mm Inventor Raymond Sfumpf Patented May 16, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE AND EXCAVATING MACHINE Raymond Stumpf, New Providence, Pa.

Application March 21, 1943', Serial No. 736,203

12 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in grading and excavatingmachines.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved grading andexcavating machine which will be wheel supported and drawn by a truck,including a gravel cutting blade and a screw and endless conveyorassociated therewith for conveying the gravel as it is cut by the bladeto the truck as said truck and grading and excavating machine aremovedalong the ground.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved grading andexcavating machine which will be wheel supported and drawn by a truck,including an adjustable gravel cutting blade supported by said machine,and a screw and endless conveyor associated therewith being driven bysaid machine as it and the truck to which it is attached are drivenalong the ground to be graded.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved wheelsupported grading and excavating machine which will be detachablyconnected to a truck and pulled thereby, said machine including avertically and angularly adjustable wheel supported cutter blade and apower driven gravel feed screw associated therewith, together with apair of overlapping endless conveyors also driven by the machine, andone of said endless conveyors being vertically adjustable for elevatingthe gravel and discharging the same into said truck.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved grading andexcavating machine which will be highly efficient in operation, andrelatively inexpensive to manufacture and produce.

Other objects will appear as the description proceeds.

In the accompanying drawings which form apart of this application:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the improved grading and excavating machine;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the improved grading and excavatingmachine;

Figure 3 is a rear end view of the improved grading and excavatingmachine Figure 4 is a partial sectional view taken on the line 4-4 ofFigure 1;

Figure 5 is a partial sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Figure '1;

' Figure 6 is view taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 1, and

Figure '7 is a partial sectional view taken on the line 1-4 of FigureB.

Like characters of reference are used through- 4 and 5 being rotatablymounted upon the respective axles.

The improved machine will .be associated with a truck having a frame 5and a body 1.. An attaching bracket or arm 8 will be welded at 9, to thetruck frame 6, and will have its rearwardly extending portion verticallyapertured to extend between the U-shaped .clevis 10 at the forward endof the arm ,II secured by the bolt 12 to the forward end of the tongue13 attached to the front axle 2 and braces 85. The U-shaped clev'is Itwill be formed with vertically aligned aper-. tures which will bealigned with the aperture in the bracket or ,arm 8, and a headed lockingpin or bolt 14 will be extended therethrough for coupling the machine tosaid truck.

A pair of upwardly extending oppositely disposed bearing plates orbrackets, l5 and I6 are secured by the bolts or fasteners 11 to the0pposite sides of the frame 1, extending above and below the same.

Upper and lower cross shafts I8 and 19 are rotatably mounted between theplates or brackets l5 and I6, being held in place by the cotter pins 20and respectively support the drums or pulleys 2i and 22 upon which theendless conveyor belts 23 and 24 are mounted with the transverselyextending cross cleats 25 suitably attached thereto.

The rear end of the endless conveyor 23 extends about the drum or pulley26 mounted upon the rear axle 3 of the machine, while the front end ofthe front endless conveyor 24 is disposed about the drum or pulley 21mounted upon the shaft 23 connected between the forward ends of theparallel extending conveyor supporting frame arms 29 and 30, which arepivotally mounted at their rear ends upon the shaft l9,

A pair of parallel extending vertical channel.

iron standards BI and 32 are suitably secured to the opposite sides ofthe frame I at the front end thereof, and support the cross bearingshafts 33 and 34 upon which the pulleys 35 and 36 are rotatably mountedA-comblned shaft and crank 31 will be supported transversely of theframe I adjacent the lower end of the standards 3| and 32, and willsupport the pulleys 38 to which the cables 39 and 46 are secured, thento extend upwardly over the pulleys 35 and 36, and then downwardly to beattached to the conveyor frame arms 29 and 30, whereby rotation of thecrank 31 in one direction will elevate the endless conveyor 24, androtation of said crank 31 in the opposite direction will lower saidconveyor. A stop bar or member ll will be mounted transversely of theframe I adjacent the crank 31, whereby the bar 4| may be pulledoutwardly or laterally of the frame I to be engaged by said crank 31 forholding the endless conveyor 24 in the desired elevated position, orsaid stop bar may be pushed inwardly when the crank is to be operated ineither direction.

A pair of spaced vertically extending angle irons 42 and 43 will besecured to the frame I by means of the bolts 44, and will be connectedby means of the vertical plate 45.

A bearing 46 and stub shaft 41 mounted therein will be supported throughthe upper end of the plate 45, and a pulley 36 secured to the shaft 41will support a belt 49 whose opposite or lower end is disposed about thepulley 56 mounted upon the rear axle 3, to be driven thereby as themachine is moved along the ground.

A pulley is supported upon the end of the shaft [9, and is connected bymeans of the belt 52 with the pulley 53 secured upon the rear axle 3; tobe driven by the movement of the machine along the ground for operatingthe angularly adjustable endless conveyor 24.

The inner end of the shaft 41 is formed to provide a universal joint 54with the adjacent end of the shaft 55 upon which the screw 56 is formedor secured to provide a screw conveyor. An elongated gravel carryingtrough 51 is disposed below the screw 56, and supports the bearings 58and 59 at its opposite ends, through which the shaft 55 and screw 56 arerotatably mounted.

' Scoop means, such as a gravel engaging and cutting blade 60 will bedetachably secured to the front edge of the annular'gravel directingskirt 6| by means of the fasteners or bolts 62, the outer end of saidskirt being cut off on an angle, while the 'inner end thereof overlapsthe conveyor trough 51 and is pivotally connected thereto by the bolt80.

A bracket 63 is secured to the outer rear surface of the blade skirt 6|,and supports the vertically adjustable arm 64 upon which the guide andsupporting wheel 65 are mounted. A bolt 66 and arcuate slot 61 in thebracket cooperate with the skirt 6| to permit the same to be tilted tovary the angle of attack of the cutting blade 60.

An elongatable and adjustable bracing means is provided for the outerend of the cutting blade and skirt, and comprises the tubular pipe ormember 68 connected at its rear end to the skirt 6| by means of the bolt15, and the forwardly extending rod 69 telescopically received withinthe tube 68, being held in the desired adjustment by means of the pinwhich is selectively received in the alignable openings 1| and 12 formedrespectively through the tube 68 and through the rod 69. The forward endof the rod 69 will be attached to the tongue l3, being supported infixed position by means of the bolt l2 extending through said tongue l3and the arm II.

From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that the mode ofoperation of the improved grading and excavating machine will be asfollows: the grading and excavating machine will be attached to thebracket 8 supported by the chassis 6 of the truck by means of the clevisl6 and locking pin or bolt H. The truck and grading and excavatingmachine will then be operated where the grading is to be done, and theangularly disposed blade 60 will cut into the gravel and will force thesame up into the screw conveyor where it will be carried along anddumped upon the endless conveyor 23 which will be rotating in a forwarddirection as the truck and machine move forwardly. The conveyor 24 willbe elevated by means of the crank 35 and the attached cables which aresecured to the conveyor frame members 29 and 30 until the conveyor is inthe correct position to carry the gravel which is discharged on itslower end by the endless conveyor 23, in an upwardly inclined directionand into the truck body 1.

The driving means for the two conveyors 23 and 24 will comprise theseveral pulleys and belts connected between the endless conveyors andthe rear axle of the machine.

The use of the universal joint 54 and the adjustable bracing meanssecured between the tongue I3 and the outer end of the blade skirtprovides for the operation of the cutter blade in any desired angle, andthe bolt 66 and cooperating slot 61 provide for the angular inclinationof the blade with respect to the gravel which is to be scooped upthereby.

From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that there has beendevised and provided a highly efficient form of grading and excavatingmachine which will be positive in action and relatively inexpensive tomanufacture and produce.

While the preferred embodiment of the instant invention has beenillustrated and described, it will be understood that it is not intendedto limit the scope of the invention thereto, as many minor changes indetail of construction may be resorted to without departure from thescope of the invention.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by letters patent of the United States is:

1. A grading and excavating machine including a wheeled chassis frame,an angularly adjustable endless conveyor on the front portion of saidframe, a fixed endless conveyor on the rear of said frame having itsforward end overlapping the rear end of said first mentioned conveyor, aconveyor mounted transversely of said frame, a combined gravel cuttingknife and skirt adjustably associated with the outer end of saidtransversely disposed conveyor, and means for operating said conveyors.

2. A grading and excavating machine including a wheeled chassis frame,having means for detachably connecting said frame to a power unit, anangularly adjustable endless conveyor on the front portion of saidframe, a fixed endless conveyor on the rear of said frame having itsforward end overlapping the rear end of said first mentioned conveyor, ascrew conveyor mounted transversely of said frame, a combined blade andskirt pivoted at the outer end of said screw conveyor, means foroperating said conveyors responsive to movement of the frame, and asupporting and guiding wheel mounted at the outer end of said combinedblade and skirt.

3. The subject matter as claimed in claim 2, and extensible andadjustable means between said combined gravel cutting knife and skirtand said power unit connecting means.

4. The subject matter as claimed in claim an extensible and adjustablebrace betweensaid combined blade and skirt and said power unitconnecting means, and means for adjusting and locking said blade inground engagement.

5. The subject matter as claimed in claim 1, and means for varying theangular inclination of said adjustable endless conveyor.

6. A grader comprising a wheeled chassis frame, an angularly adjustableconveyor disposed on one end of said frame, a fixed conveyor disposed onthe other end of the frame and having one end cooperatively disposedadjacent one end of the adjustable conveyor, a conveyor adjustablyextended transversely of the frame and having its inner end communicatedwith the fixed conveyor, a scoop pivotally and tiltably carried by theouter end of said transversely disposed conveyor and means for operatingsaid conveyors responsive to movement of the frame.

7. A grader comprising a wheeled chassis frame, a first conveyoradjustably disposed on one end of said frame and having one end pivotedto the frame, a second conveyor disposed on the other end of the frameand having one end thereof overlapping the pivoted end of said firstconveyor and in longitudinal alignment therewith, a conveyor extendingtransversely above and beyond one side of the frame, a combined bladeand skirt pivotally mounted on the extending end of the last-mentionedconveyor, means for operating said conveyors responsive to movement ofthe frame, and means for positioning and locking said combined blade andskirt in selected angular relation with the frame.

8. The combination of claim 7, and means for tilting said blade andskirt on a horizontal axis and locking said blade in adjusted groundrelation.

9. The combination of claim 7, wherein means is provided for moving saidfirst conveyor about a horizontal axis and comprises a hoist unitvertically disposed on said frame and operatively associated with saidconveyor adjacent its unattached end.

10. The combination of claim 7, wherein means is provided for movingsaid combined blade and skirt about a pivot point and includes anextensible and adjustable brace connected between the outer end of saidskirt and said frame and means for locking said combined blade and skirtin angular relation with the frame.

11. The combination of claim 7, wherein said combined blade and skirt issupported and guided by a wheel connected to the outer end of the skirt,means carried by the connection between the wheel and skirt for lockingsaid blade in selected ground engaging positions.

12. The combination of claim 11, wherein said last-mentioned meansincludes a pivotally mounted bracket assembly connected between saidwheel and skirt and a universal connection at the inner end of thetransversely disposed conveyor.

RAYMOND STUMPF.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS- Number Name Date 987,809 McCray Mar. 28, 19112,088,537 Seay July 2'7, 1937 2,148,568 McBrady Feb. 28, 1939 2,315,091Fees Mar. 30, 1943 2,393,572 Soma Jan. 22, 1946 2,410,012 Churchman Oct.29, 1946

